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Dan Carver
Issaquah (near Seattle), WA 98027
EMAIL: dan@vinegaroonmoon.com or danccarver@gmail.com
Project Management / Design / testing / technical writing
A creative, seasoned professional with over 12 years of experience and a deep
passion for creating quality software and fun and entertaining games. Career to date encompasses 16+
shipped products and experience in all aspects of the development process,
including project management, design, prototyping, documentation,
specifications, scripting, programming, testing, web site design and
development, technical writing and editing. Has managed internal and external
teams. Relishes new experiences and challenges.
Software Experience
Word, Excel,
Project, Visio, Frontpage, HTML/XHTML, CSS, XML, Pascal, Basic, Visual Basic, C,
C++, Visual C#, Lua, Python, PHP, Sourcesafe and other Asset Management
software, Cool Edit, Sound Forge, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Corel Painter,
Confluence wki, JIRA bug database (and other bug reporting software), Maya, UnrealEd, Pagemaker, Windows, DOS, some Mac OS experience.
Platform Experience
PC, XBox, XBox
360, Nintendo Wii, Web based games, including Alternate Reality Games (ARGs).
Experience
Hidden Path Entertainment, Bellevue, WA 6/2006 to 4/2008
Designer / Project Management
Defense Grid (XBOX arcade)
– Designer
Responsible for
designing and documenting a downloadable tower defense game, Created asset lists
and worked with other departments to develop the assets. Designed and documented
user interface. Worked with programming team to design and test editing tools
and data formats.
Unannounced Title (Nintendo Wii)
– Level Designer
Responsible for
designing scripting and testing game levels and features. Created asset lists
and worked with other departments to develop the assets. Worked with programming
team to test and improve editing tools and data formats.
GoDance (PC online)
– Project Manager / Designer
Responsible for
designing and documenting a dancing game for Gopets client. Created asset lists
and worked with other departments to develop assets. Worked closely with
programming team to implement features and dancing modes. Tested, balanced and
tuned performance.
GoPets (PC online)
– Project Manager / Designer
Responsible for
designing and documenting new features and improved functionality, building
asset lists and working with other departments to develop the assets. Worked
closely with programming team to implement features. Tuned performance. Tested,
reported and tracked bugs. Worked with client to integrate new features with
existing code.
Culture (XBOX Demo)
– Project Manager / Designer
Evaluated project and
provided design and playtest feedback. This project was nearing completion when
I joined Hidden Path.
Other
Researched, compared and
recommended wiki and bug tracking tools. Installed Confluence wiki and JIRA bug
database. Maintained wiki, wrote tutorials, and created templates for projects.
Created wiki-based design document which became the standard for other projects.
Volt / VMC, Redmond, WA 1/2006 to 2/2006
Testing
Contracted to conduct hardware and functional software testing on XBOX 360. Logged and reproduced bugs.
Microsoft, Redmond, WA 5/1993 to 12/2003
Project Manager / Game Designer
Crimson Skies (XBOX) – Level
Designer
Responsible for
designing and documenting levels, building asset lists and working with other
departments to develop the assets. Reviewed and edited design documents.
Conducted level reviews with other designers. Worked with programming lead to
improve design tools and script performance. Modeled environments using Maya.
Scripted behaviors. Debugged, balanced and tuned levels. Contributed to
improvements in core design and AI, Wrote scripting tutorials. Trained personnel
on tools and scripting. Participated in usability studies.
The Beast – Game Designer,
Voice Direction
A ground-breaking
web-based mystery game developed by Microsoft to promote the Steven Spielberg
movie, A.I. (the game is chronicled at
www.cloudmakers.org). Responsible
for designing puzzles, contributing to story arc, writing and editing audio
scripts, directing voice talent and audio post production (which included
special effects and foley work). Researched and acquired phone and video
streaming services. Acted as production assistant for video and photo shoots.
Moderated and tracked game progress. Managed project when project manager was
unavailable.
MechWarrior IV – Voice
Direction, Audio Design, Voice Scripting, Video Production
Worked on design of
audio interface. Contributed to, organized and edited audio scripts.
Coordinated work with external production company. Acted as production
assistant for video shoots. Cast and directed voice talent. Coordinated post
production audio work. Devised tools and process for converting between
file-naming conventions. Devised tools and process for tracking missing and
duplicated files.
Cel Damage
(published with 3rd
party) – Project Manager / Game design supervision
Initially
responsible for project management, and then moved to design position.
Responsible for design of prototype with developer. Created original vision
document and specification for prototype. Supervised developer on-site to
create, debug, and tune prototype. Contributed to core and level design and
reviewed and edited all design and documentation until transitioned off to work
on Mechwarrior IV.
Inertia
(unpublished) – Project
Manager
Responsible for
project management of Microsoft team working with external developer, Pseudo
Interactive. Involved regular travel to developer to monitor project’s progress.
Also scheduled and tracked development. Developed spec with developer. Reviewed
and edited all documentation.
Reach for the Stars
(published with 3rd
party) – Project Manager
Responsible for
project management of Microsoft team working with external developer, Strategic
Studies Group. Involved regular travel to developer to monitor project’s
progress. Responsible for scheduling and tracking progress. Developed spec with
developer. Reviewed and edited all documentation.
Playernet – Project Manager
Responsible for
project management of internal Microsoft team developing a peer-to-peer
multiplayer service for use with Golf 2.0. Developed interface spec, scheduled
and tracked project. Coordinated development with Golf 2.0 teams. Monitored and
participated in usability studies. Reviewed and edited all documentation.
Golf 2.0 – Project Manager
Responsible for
project management of Microsoft team working with external developer, Strategic
Studies Group. Involved regular travel to developer to monitor project’s
progress. Responsible for scheduling and tracking progress. Developed feature
set, spec and interface with developer. Monitored and participated in usability
studies. Reviewed and edited all documentation.
Discovery
(unpublished) – Project
Manager
Responsible for
project management of Microsoft team working with external developer, Totally
Games. Involved regular travel to developer to monitor project’s progress.
Responsible for scheduling and tracking progress. Developed spec with developer.
Reviewed and edited all documentation.
Golf 1.5 0 – Project Manager
Responsible for
project management of Microsoft team working with external developer, Access
Software. Involved regular travel to developer to monitor project’s progress.
Responsible for scheduling and tracking progress. Monitored and participated in
usability studies. Reviewed and edited all documentation.
Sierra Online, Oakhurst, California 2/1991 to 4/1993
Programmer / Project Manager
Laura Bow II CD – Project
Manager / Voice Direction
Responsible for
management of conversion to multimedia game. Directed voice talent. Responsible
for scheduling and tracking progress.
EcoQuest CD – Project Manager
Responsible for
management of conversion of EcoQuest multimedia game. Responsible for scheduling
and tracking progress.
Space Quest IV CD – Project
Manager / Programmer
Responsible for
management of conversion to multimedia game. Managed a team of
programmers, artists and testers. Scheduled and tracked progress. Developed
tools to improve speed and efficiency of multimedia conversions.
King’s Quest V CD – Programmer
Programmed first
multimedia conversion of a Sierra product.
Flying Buffalo Inc., Phoenix, Arizona 1/1987 to 1/1991
Game Designer / Programmer / Writer / Office Manager / Retail Store Manager
Mobius I
2.0 (multiplayer computer moderated play-by-mail) – Game Designer /
Programmer / Writer
Designed, spec’d, and
programmed version 2 of Mobius I. Created scripting system to allow players to
automate turns. Revised game manual.
Berserker
(board game) – Designer (with Mike Stackpole)
Co-designed and playtested game based on Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker novels.
Nuclear Escalation
(card game) –
Designer (with others)
Co-designed and playtested expansion set for the original Nuclear Destruction
card game.
Uncle Ugly’s Underground
(paper and pencil role-playing) – Designer / Illustrator / Writer
Designed, illustrated,
and wrote a game module for Tunnels & Trolls.
Tunnels & Trolls
(paper & pencil role-playing) – Playtester
Playtested and
provided feedback and suggestions for Tunnels & Trolls role-playing.
Other
Managed retail game
store. Managed office, implementing improved posting system and other office and
accounting procedures.
Mobius Corporation, Scottsdale, Arizona 1982 to 1987
President / Game Designer / Programmer
Mobius I
(multiplayer computer moderated
play-by-mail) – Game Designer/ Programmer/ Writer
Designed, spec’d,
and programmed game. Wrote game manual. Wrote all utilities for management of
game, including editor, syntax checker and accounting system.
Freelance Projects (as contractor)
Level Designer
Tunnels & Trolls (computer
game) – Level Designer
Designed and documented levels for computer version of Tunnels & Trolls.
Wasteland – Level Designer
Designed and
documented levels.
Qualifications and Complementary Skills:
Education
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
BIO
Dan Carver is a 20 year veteran of the gaming industry. He cut his teeth on board, roleplaying, and computer moderated correspondence games and began his video game career as a contract level designer on the hall of fame game “Wasteland” (Apple II).Following that he joined Sierra On-line to work on such award winning and best-selling titles as Kings Quest V and Space Quest IV (both for the PC). At Sierra he led the Multimedia Conversion Team which was responsible for pioneering some of the first CD-rom multimedia titles.
In 1993 he was lured to Microsoft where he served as a project manager and designer for a diverse array of titles that sold over $70+ million worldwide, including 2 versions of Microsoft Golf (PC), Microsoft’s first multiplayer gaming client, Cel Damage (XBOX), Mech Warrior IV (PC) and Crimson Skies (XBOX).
In 2001 he was a member of a small elite team that developed a critically acclaimed and award winning web-based mystery game as part of the marketing effort surrounding Stephen Spielberg’s movie “AI”.
He has worn many hats and has experience in project management, design, level design, prototyping, tools design, programming, voice direction, audio post production, testing, and specification and technical writing. He has shipped over 16 titles and has spoken at a number of institutions and conferences, the most recent being the University of Washington.
References and writing samples available upon request